Guide or fair-lead for the drag rope of a drag-line excavator



May 26, l 925.

H. O. BEDGOOD GUIDE OR FAIR LEAD FOR THE DRAG ROPE OF A DRAG LINEEXCAVATOR Filed May v 6, 1924 lNVENTOK V HUEEKT 05i/4L0 5506000 flyPatented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- HUBERT OSWALD BEDGOOD, OF GLASGOW,SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOR TO LOBNITZ 8:; COM- PANY LIMITED, OF RENFREW,SCOTLAND.

GUIDE OR FAIR-LEAD FOR THE DRAG ROPE OF A DRAG-LINE EXCAVATOR.

Application filed May 6, 1924. Serial No. 711,483.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUBERT OswALD Bnnooon, of Glasgow, Scotland, asubject of the King of Great Britain, have invented a certain new anduseful Improved Guide or Fair-Lead for the Drag Rope of a Drag-LineExcavator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, which relates to drag-line excavators, has for itsobject to improve and simplify the construction of the guide orfair-lead for the drag-line.

At present, in drag-line excavators, it is usual to employ a heavy caststeel fair-lead in which the vertical guide pulleys are carried but,under this invention, the fair-lead comprises forged steel hinge piecesto which steel plates are secured, the hinge pieces being pivotallysecured to forge steel brackets bolted to the structure of theexcavator, the whole constituting an improved construct-ion orarrangement and combination of parts.

The improved fair-lead is shown on the accompanying drawings, whereonFig. 1 is an elevation with part in section, and

Fig. 2 a plan view taken along the section line AA of Fig. 1.

The fair-lead comprises two bifurcated hinge pieces, 1, 1, of forgedsteel upon whose inner faces two parallel steel plates 2, 2, of theshape shown in Fig. 1 are riveted, the ends of the hinge pieces 1, 1being enlarged to allow of holes being drilled therein and through theplates to provide bearings for spindles 3, 3 on which two sheaves 4L, 1*of cast steel are rotatably mounted, the lower sheave 4P being of largerdiameter than the upper 41. The spindles 3, 3, are each secured by a nutand split pin. This portion of the device is attached to the platform 5by means of two forged steel brackets 6, 6, one secured to the upperedge and the other to the lower edge of the said platform. A hole isdrilled in each bracket to correspond with a hole in the inner extremityof the corresponding hinge piece 1 aforementioned. Each hinge piece issecured to its bracket by a heavy pin 7 passing through the holes, andretained in place by a nut and split pin. In this way this portion ofthe fair-lead is pivotally mounted on the platform 5 with its sheaves 4and 1 in a vertical plane, the connecting pins being held rigid with thebrackets 7 by means of feathers.

In conjunction with the fair-lead is a guide mounted in the platform 5and comprlsmg a rectangular slot 8 cut in the end of the platform, alongthe upper and lower edges respectively of which two channel bars Sand 9are riveted by one flange of each, to the end of the platform, flushwith the edges of the slot. By giving these flanges a slight set thewebs of the bars are inclined at a small angle to the horizontal and areparallel. These two channel bars 9 and 9 are drilled to provide bearingsfor two spindles 10, 10 upon which two sheaves 11, 11 of equal size arerotatably mounted in a plane parallel to that of the webs of the bars 9,9 the spindles being secured in place by the usual nuts and split pins.As will be seen from Fig. 2 the sheaves 11, 11 are symmetricallydisposed with reference to the brackets 6, 6 on which the fair-lead ismounted, sufiicient space being allowed between them for the passage ofthe drag-line 12.

For the efficient lubrication of the parts, the bearing spindle of eachsheave 11, 11, has an axial hole 13 drilled in it for about half itslength, this hole connecting, at its inner end, with a hole 14 drilledradially and opening on to the bushing of the sheave 11, the other endof the axial hole 13 being connected to a small tube 15. Heavy lubricantis forced along the tube 15 to the axial hole 13 whence it passes by theradial hole 14: to the bearing.

The action ofthe fair-lead is evident from the drawings. The drag-line12 from the bucket passes in between the two vertical sheaves 4 and 4 inanapproximately horizontal direction, then through the slot 8 in theplatform 5 and between the two horizontally arranged but slightlyinclined sheaves 11, 11 to the drag drum of the winding engine. In orderto minimize the risk of the line chafing on the side plates 2, 2, as itenters the fair-lead the front edges of the said plates are given anoutward set at 16.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1.. A fair-lead for the drag-line of a dragline excavator, having, in combination with the hollow platform of theexcavator horizontally disposed guide pulleys located within saidplatform, said platform having an opening therein through which thedragline passes, means supporting the guide pulleys horizontally side byside within the platform, brackets projecting from the platform,bifurcated hinge pieces pivotally connected to said brackets, andvertically disposed pulleys mounted on the bifurcated hinge pieces.

2. A fair-lead for the drag-line of a dragline excavator, having, incombination with the hollow platform of the excavator, oppositelydisposed channel bars secured within the platform of the excavator,guide pulleys mounted between the channel bars at an angle slightlyinclined to the horizon tal, and partially projecting through saidplatform, bifurcated hinge pieces pivotally connected to the platform,and vertically disposed pulleys pivoted to the hinge pieces within thebifurcations thereof.

3. A fair-lead for the drag-line of a drag-- line excavator, having incombination with the hollow platform of the excavator, oppo sitelydisposed channel bars secured within the platform, guide pulleys mountedbetween the channel bars at an angle slightly inclined to thehorizontal, forged steel brackets on the platform, bifurcated hingepieces pivotally connected to said brackets, a plate secured to both thebifurcated hinge pieces on one side and a similar plate secured to boththe bifurcated hinge pieces on the other side whereby both hinge pieceswill be caused to swing together, and vertically disposed pulleyspivoted to the hinge pieces between said plates.

4. A fair-lead for the drag-line of a dragline excavator, having incombination with the hollow platform of the excavator, oppositelydisposed channel bars secured within the platform, two guide pulleysmounted between the channel bars at an angle slightly inclined to thehorizontal, two pivot pins, one for each guide pulley, the pins beingcarried by the channel bars, means for lubricating the pulleys throughsaid pins, forged steel brackets on the platform, bifurcated hingepieces pivotally connected to said brackets, a plate secured to both thebifurcated hinge pieces on one side, and a similar plate secured to boththe bifurcated hinge pieces on the other side whereby both hinge pieceswill be caused to swing together, and vertically disposed pulleyspivoted to the hinge pieces between said plates.

I11 testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUBERT OSl/VALD BEDGOOD.

Witnesses JOHN BILLYARD J AMSON, MARY GREEN.

